PCD 1612 Intensified Support

PCD 1612 Intensified Support 

The Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) budget enables us to fund a range of ambitious and crucial programmes that are designed to improve the environments, relationships, or actions that, if unaddressed and unsupported, may otherwise lead to violence. The VRU approach to violence reduction means putting communities, young people and their families at the heart of tackling the issue; and particularly in those parts of London most affected – often taking a place-based approach to violence reduction. The VRU’s current research & feedback from community stakeholders elevates the need for long term sustainable funding.   

The VRU would like to extend funding to boroughs experiencing significant volumes of serious violence in 2024/2025 through the Additional and Intensified Support funds. Boroughs will be able to utilise these additional funds to support the delivery of their serious violence duty strategy and violence and vulnerability reduction action plans.   

The Mayor of London has allocated funding for the consecutive fiscal years 2022-2025 to support the VRU’s vital work. The VRU has taken the opportunity to extend many of its high-performing programmes of activity and this Decision sets out budget allocation including carry forward from 2023-2024 for ongoing funding across VRU Additional and Intensified Support Fund.  

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:   

1. To approve allocations of funding amounting to £1 million across the Additional Intensified Support Fund within the VRU, funded from £800,000 2024/25 Mayoral precept funding and £200,000 previously approved Q2 2023/24 carry forwards. 

2. To approve allocating equal grants to up to 6 identified local authorities for the intensified support fund for 2024/2025.  

3. Delegate award of final grant to the Director of the VRU 

PART I - NON-CONFIDENTIAL FACTS AND ADVICE TO THE DMPC 

1. Introduction and background  

1.1 The VRU’s budget enables us to fund a range of ambitious and crucial programmes that are designed to improve the environments, relationships, or surrounding professional networks that, if unaddressed and unsupported, may otherwise lead to violence.    

1.2 The VRU’s approach to violence reduction means putting communities, young people and their families at the heart of tackling the issue; and particularly in those parts of London most affected – often taking a place-based approach to violence reduction. This includes work programme interventions to support those neighbourhoods which have experienced sustained and high levels of violence.  

1.3 The research which has been commissioned by the Violence Reduction Unit has been clear in recommendations around funding longer term projects. With funding grants received to cover a 3-year funding period the Violence Reduction Unit has taken the opportunity to extend and enhance existing programmes which are already showing benefit and outcomes for young Londoners, families and communities. 

1.4 The VRU would like to extend funding to boroughs experiencing significant volumes of serious violence through the Additional and Intensified Support fund.  

2. Issues for consideration  

2.1 Based on work with local authorities, the Met and our knowledge of boroughs we are developing supportive measures with both a focus on prevention and greater capacity to respond to emergencies and incidents. This funding will provide targeted investment in boroughs identified as having had higher risks of violence in past 12 months. 

2.2 The funding is for locally designed interventions with a focus on boroughs where there are high and sustained levels of violence. The aim of the funding is to provide additional support to those effected and impacted by violence, through a robust partnership approach, including collaboration between statutory partners, local communities, young people, stakeholders and key local institutions. This funding is to help support and enhance additional partnership work and could include areas such as supporting and increasing detached youth outreach through organisations coming together, development of community champions, providing training to communities and young people on the impact of violence, as well as supporting strong and sustainable local networks of community members so that they are well placed to respond to local emerging needs and help advance and test new initiatives to tackle serious youth violence. 

2.3 Additional Intensified Support Fund will be awarded to up to 6 boroughs most in need based on analysis of data of high harm offences across London. Boroughs who flag as experiencing significantly high levels of incident around violence offences including homicide, violence affecting under 25s and gun crime will be approached to receive funding to deliver additional interventions focused on these concerns.  

2.4 Boroughs will also be able to utilise these additional funds to support the delivery of their serious violence duty strategy and violence and vulnerability reduction action plans. 

3. Financial Comments  

1. The total budget requirement is £1,000,000 and aligns to the 2024/25 budget assumptions, £800,000 is from Mayoral precept funding and £200,000 is funded from Q2 2023/24 approved carry forwards.  

4. Legal Comments  

4.1 Paragraph 4.8 (8) and 4.13 (1), (2) of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) has delegated authority to:  

• Approve bids for grant funding made and all offers made of grant funding; and/or where appropriate a strategy for grant giving.  

• Approve the strategy for the award of individual grants and/ or the award of all individual grants whether to secure or contribute to securing crime reduction in London or for other purposes.  

• The procurement strategy for all revenue and capital contracts of a total value of £500,000 or above, such determination to include decisions on the criteria and methodology to be adopted in the tendering process, any exemptions from procurement requirements, and any necessary contract extensions.  

• All requests to go out to tender for contracts of £500,000 or above, or where there is a particular public interest.  

 4.2 MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Chief Executive has delegated authority for;  

• As per Paragraph 5.5, the approval of: Business cases for revenue or capital expenditure for MOPAC expenditure of £50,000 to £499,999  

• As per Paragraph 5.12, The approval of: The procurement strategy for all MOPAC revenue and capital contracts of a total value of between £50,000 and £499,999. 

5. Commercial Issues  

5.1 Additional Intensified Support Fund will be awarded to boroughs most in need based on analysis of data of high harm offences across London. Boroughs who flag as experiencing significantly high levels of incident around violence offences including homicide, violence against the person and gun crime will be approached to receive funding to deliver additional interventions focused on these concerns. This funding will be grant awarded to boroughs as delegated to the Director of the VRU.  

6. Public Health Approach  

6.1 London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) is taking a public health approach to violence reduction, that is contextual; looking at the context and influences that impact on individuals at significant points in their life.  

6.2 Evidence-based practice is fundamental to the implementation of a public health approach to reducing violence. Therefore, more research including the delivery and gather of good practice and ‘what works’ is required to deepen and broaden the evidence base around violence reduction, diversion and prevention in London. The delivery to date for these programmes still requires further support to address the ‘what works’ question and support ongoing good practise. 

7. GDPR and Data Privacy  

1. MOPAC will adhere to the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and ensure that any organisations who are commissioned to do work with or on behalf of MOPAC are fully compliant with the policy and understand their GDPR responsibilities.   

8. Equality Comments  

1. MOPAC is required to comply with the public sector equality duty set out in section 149(1) of the Equality Act 2010. This requires MOPAC to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations by reference to people with protected characteristics. The protected characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. 

2.  All programmes being extended have had initial screening around equality impact and it was established that a full EQIA was not required. Initial screening for new programmes will be undertaken to establish if a full EQIA is required.  

8.3 The VRU, along with MOPAC, have commissioned EDI consultants to work with the teams to develop training, awareness and recommendations for future work programme and action plan developments to ensure the VRU are developing their equality, diversity and inclusion work practices as much as possible going forward. For both the team and stakeholders, as well as for the Londoners we serve.  

9. Background/supporting papers 

10. None